What is a WAV file?
WAV is Microsoft's container for uncompressed PCM audio, the same digital samples a CD holds. Nothing is thrown away, so it is the format recording software, samplers, phone systems, and studios expect. The price is size: about 10 MB per minute of stereo CD-quality audio, and more at higher sample rates.
When to use WAV
Recording, editing, mixing, and any situation where the audio will be processed again. Sound effects for games are sometimes kept as WAV for instant playback. For listening, sharing, or uploading, WAV is wasteful; a 320 kbps MP3 or a FLAC is indistinguishable at a fraction of the size.
Converting WAV
WAV to MP3 shrinks a recording by 85 to 90 percent for sharing. WAV to FLAC halves the size with zero loss for archiving. WAV to OGG produces the format game engines want. All three run in your browser, and hour-long recordings are fine.
Frequently asked questions
Is WAV better than MP3?
WAV is a perfect copy; MP3 discards inaudible detail. For editing, WAV. For everything else, a high-bitrate MP3 sounds the same to nearly everyone.
Why is my WAV file so big?
Because it is uncompressed: 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits each, two channels, adds up to about 10 MB per minute.